Religion in Auros
'Religion in Auros '''is a fairly simple concept, considering Auros' continued dedication to its widely-practiced ancient religion. Though it has no official name, the faith of Auros often goes by The Ancient Two, The Dragon Gods, and the Cycle. Since the beginning of the Auron Empire, people on Auros have followed the faith of the Ancient Cycle and the Forgotten Gods. The Cycle belief describes two dragon brothers that fashioned the world at the behest of even older entities, and the one dragon that breathed life into the world. It is a religion of harmony and balance, with extensive festivals and ceremonies. One of the most important of these, Baras Daljahis, the Celebration of Origins, is a celebration reminiscing the origin of the world. Baras Daljahis is celebrated in the city of Auraelis and other cities around Auros. The festival also celebrates the coming of spring, and has lots of flower and animal symbolism for the different phases of creation. In the main streets of Aurealis there is a large parade with colourful, crafted dragons of wood and cloth, blazing red kites with the faces of dragons are flown in the spring breeze, and merchants come out in droves to sell their wares. One is expected to visit a shrine of the Creator Dragons during this time, and special ceremonies are held at their monasteries and temples. Traditional dances are held in the city squares and entertainers fill the canals, music floats up to the higher towers from the gardens below. First celebrated nearly a thousand years ago, Baras Daljahis is a time of joy and honor for the city. Legend ''From: The Ancient Two 1The first ones were brothers: Val'Taroth and Kan'Volkyyn. Brought forth by elder gods as vessels of will and tools of creation, they were to shape what had been made. The world twisted and swirled in the nothing of the void, barren and devoid of life or purpose. The dragons descended unto what had been made, and set to work. Raising the rock and magma from the planet's center, Val’Taroth would create mountains and land, crudely shaped, unnatural. Kan’Volkyyn, harnessing the power of the weather and the seas would use water to erode and shape the mountains the valleys. 2For thousands of years it continued thus, until the Ancient Deios would finally be satisfied with what they had accomplished. Over this time the two would become what they are known as today. Extremely powerful, Val'Taroth is capable of much, but is unrefined and of primal nature. Kan’Volkyyn however could shape the smallest of streams and carve the simplest of caves, exhibiting an unmatched control over his immense potential. Where power existed, control focused it and birthed what we know today as Firth. 3As the Gods watched in pleasure with what their servants had done, they deemed to grant them the power of life. This came in the form of another dragon, smaller in frame and gold of skin, as a gift to the two. She flew over the world, breathing into it life and creating creatures and plants. Finally she birthed Dragonkind, greatest of all creatures, who captivates men and imparts to them truth. These are the writings of old. Religion Description The Cycle has three main entities; Kan'Volkyyn; the Dragon-God of Control, Val'Taroth; the Dragon-God of Power, and Art'Pryvilae, the Dragon-Goddess of Life. The main focus of the religious idealogy is balance and harmony between the ideas of raw power and balancing control. This plays out as valuing both strength and self-discipline, but there is a third aspect, that of Art'Pryvilae and the idea of creation. While it was the Forgotten Gods who set the Dragons-Gods to mold the world and populate it, it is the Dragon-Gods who are given all the credit for the momentous act of creation. The Gods and Goddess of the Cycle are worshiped in temples and shrines and through endless festivals and ceremonies, and depicted often in Morthandria/Auron architecture and imagery, with Art'Pryvilae featuring primarily on the Morthandrian Crest. See AlsoCategory:Religions * Morthandria * The Ancient Two